Autumn Equinox

Even though it happens year after year, the arrival of autumn is always a little surprising. Almost as if on a switch, one day late in the summer you feel it – a subtle crispness in the air.

We can thank the autumnal equinox for this shift from summer to cozy Autumn, and while most of us are aware of when the first day of autumn lands on the calendar, there’s more to the equinox than meets the eye. Consider the following.

1. There are two equinoxes annually, vernal and autumnal, marking the beginning of spring and Autumn. They are opposite for the northern and southern hemispheres.

2. The autumnal equinox happens the moment the sun crosses the celestial equator, which is an imaginary line in the sky that corresponds to Earth’s equator. Every year this occurs on September 22, 23, or 24.

3. From here, the days get shorter until the winter solstice on 21st December, when the light will begin its slow climb back to long summer days. Winter solstice is technically the shortest day of the year, while the summer solstice in June boasts the most sunlight. Hence, the four season.

Because it takes the Earth around 365.25 days to orbit the Sun – and why we have a leap year every 4 years – the precise time of the equinoxes varies from year to year, usually happening around six hours later on successive years. On leap years, the date jumps back an entire day.

5. “Equinox” comes from the Latin words “equi” meaning “equal” and “nox” meaning “night.” This implies that there will be equal amounts of daylight and darkness, however such is not exactly the case.

What’s happening in Nature?.

As we spiral into Autumn, day and night become equal, a sense of balance and of giving and receiving. The Earth is delivering a harvest as fruits are plentiful, this is a great time to collect fruit and berries and freeze for the Winter months.

It is good to be outside and enjoy the last of the late Summer Sunsets as they are at their most stunning during this period, a lovely time to walk or practice Yoga outdoors.

I like to collect a few acorns, cones & chestnuts for my Autumnal shrine too.

The acorn represents for me the saying “From small acorns great tree’s grow” and I will set my intentions for the following year as I place them on my shrine this next New Moon.

Autumn is a good time to practice Aparigraha or non hourding, clearing out the old and unused items from our wardrobes and even kitchen cupboards and donating them to charity.

As always have fun and see what works for you, you may want to create new routines for yourself too.

Celebrate Mabon...

One of the easiest ways to celebrate Mabon is decorating your home for autumn. I like to bring in both fresh and dried flowers to place throughout my kitchen and other living spaces. If you don’t have access to your own greenery, a short walk in the woods can provide plenty of Mabon decorations for your home.

If you opt to celebrate Mabon by yourself, try finding a quiet space outside to meditate and journal before treating yourself to a nice meal. Mabon is a great time to release any baggage of the past year and set some new personal goals.